My Mr. Mermaid Episode 20 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Coach Fei respectfully departed South Physical, accepting Tang Yibai and Head Coach Yuan’s decision with a hint of disappointment. At home, Tang Mama was restless, pacing anxiously. She grew even more agitated seeing Yun Duo rush out, filled with questions but no one to ask. Yun Duo's outing was a meeting with Coach Wu at a restaurant. Coach Wu confronted her, suspecting a romantic relationship between her and Tang Yibai.
Yun Duo vehemently denied it, but Coach Wu maintained that even if they weren't dating, they at least harbored feelings for each other. He declared his willingness to be the villain for Tang Yibai's sake, asking Yun Duo to cease contact with him from that day forward, asserting that their relationship was severely impacting Tang Yibai's swimming career.
After several attempts to interrupt, Yun Duo finally slammed the table, took a defiant sip of her drink, and clarified that she truly regarded Tang Yibai as a close friend and would never fabricate news about him. She questioned why Coach Wu was preventing their meetings, stating it was an infringement on journalistic freedom.
She further explained that the photo of Tang Yibai carrying her was a simple misunderstanding that she had already publicly addressed, arguing that if they stopped seeing each other now, it would only make things look more suspicious. Yun Duo insisted that a reporter consistently covering Tang Yibai's news would be beneficial, not harmful. Coach Wu, momentarily swayed, conceded that interviews were acceptable but insisted someone else conduct them.
Yun Duo pushed back, asking why not her, asserting that no one understood Tang Yibai's arduous journey better. She expressed her desire to document his pursuit of dreams as both a reporter and a friend, promising to step aside if she ever became an obstacle. Coach Wu then revealed that she already was, explaining that due to their situation, the Asia Elite Training Team's perception of Tang Yibai had been negatively affected.
He disclosed that Tang Yibai had directly rejected joining the elite team to protect her. Yun Duo was stunned, asking if it was "because of me." Coach Wu confirmed that while Tang Yibai might not have explicitly said it, his decision was indeed made to shield her, even at the expense of his own career. He urged Yun Duo to deeply consider Tang Yibai's sacrifice.
Back at the office, Yun Duo's mind reeled with the revelation that Tang Yibai had sacrificed his spot on the Asia Elite Training Team for her, making her feel like a culprit. Director Liu then announced that only the top six interns would be kept, based on recent performance, and asked Yun Duo to hand over her Tang Yibai interview materials to Cheng Mei.
Yun Duo pleaded for another chance, but Director Liu offered only two options: cancel the Tang Yibai exclusive interview, or have someone else conduct it. Yun Duo apologized for the trouble she had caused QKVideo, accepting full responsibility, but insisted that Tang Yibai was innocent. She agreed to hand over the materials to Cheng Mei, but implored Director Liu to allow the exclusive interview plan to continue.
Later, Teacher Sun, believing Yun Duo's internship was certainly over, tried to give her a farewell gift. Yun Duo resisted, but Teacher Sun explained that Director Liu's word was final. She then added that if Yun Duo had successfully interviewed Sun Yang previously, she would have been ranked first due to her merit, highlighting that some things are not just about hard work but also luck.
Head Coach Yuan and Coach Wu gathered the swim team to announce a five-day, four-night private training session, led by Coach Wu, to prepare for the Dream Cup competition. During this period, all external activities were forbidden, and all phones would be confiscated, with the sole focus on training, eating, and sleeping.
When team members complained about the phone confiscation, Head Coach Yuan emphasized the importance of focus for the upcoming competition, reminding them of the sacrifices others had made to reach this point and challenging them to show their determination to reach the top eight. Late at night, Tang Yibai was deep in thought by the pool. Qi Ruifeng found him, sensing his friend was troubled by the rumors involving Yun Duo and Lin Zi.
He offered to resolve the "knot in his heart" by calling Yun Duo. Via phone, Qi Ruifeng connected with Yun Duo, asking if she was doing okay. Tang Yibai then met Yun Duo at the school, immediately apologizing to her. Yun Duo, surprised by his apology, quickly clarified that Lin Zi was not her boyfriend, explaining that he had fabricated the story to help her escape from Tang Yibai's fans and the media frenzy.
She then asked why Tang Yibai apologized, expressing concern that she had caused him trouble and affected his chance to join the Asia Elite Training Team, offering to clarify the situation if needed. Tang Yibai, however, dismissed her concerns, stating that it was his own choice to reject the Elite Team and remain with South Physical to compete in the Dream Cup.
He expressed his determination to fight alongside Qi Ruifeng and Ouyang Heng, and to become China's fastest male swimmer, with Coach Wu and "a certain person" watching. Yun Duo asked if she was that "certain person," and he confirmed it. Tang Yibai then informed her that the swim team would begin private training off-campus the next day and suggested they postpone their exclusive interview until his return the following week.
Yun Duo's smile faded as she asked if the interview was canceled, but Tang Yibai assured her it wasn't, promising to explain later. She then left on her own, despite his offer to escort her. The private training began with Coach Wu pushing the team to their limits with demanding lakeside runs.
Tang Yibai, though tired, remained focused, dismissing a teammate's question about why Coach Wu was "punishing" them by saying the coach merely wanted to exhaust them so they couldn't dwell on other matters. Later that night, while Tang Yibai, Ming Tian, and Lingye were sharing snacks, Qi Ruifeng secretly returned with their confiscated phones, having "stolen" them from Coach Wu's safe by guessing Head Coach Yuan's birthday as the password.
Despite Tang Yibai's concern about being discovered, Qi Ruifeng was confident they wouldn't be caught immediately and emphasized the necessity of phones in their remote location, even hinting at Tang Yibai texting Yun Duo. To unwind, they decided to play cards, with the loser having to wear a maid outfit. Tang Yibai initially resisted joining but was goaded into it. Qi Ruifeng ultimately lost and, true to his word, donned the maid outfit.
He then went to find Xiang Yangyang, who was stunned by his appearance. Qi Ruifeng, aiming to make amends for a past incident where she was angry, teased her for not laughing, hoping her amusement would lead to forgiveness. Ming Tian and Lingye, who had followed, offered to take pictures, much to Qi Ruifeng's annoyance, as he didn't want the photos shared online. He jokingly chased them away, telling them not to sleep that night.
Yun Duo persisted in her quest to interview Sun Yang, waiting outside his hotel alongside other media and fans. Despite the long wait and his assistant, Xia Ren, stating Sun Yang was in closed-door training and unavailable for interviews, Yun Duo refused to give up. She eventually caught a glimpse of Sun Yang, dressed in red and wearing sunglasses, exiting the hotel, but was unable to approach him directly.
She handed handwritten letters to Xia Ren on multiple occasions, explaining her identity as a QKVideo reporter and requesting an exclusive interview, even as others remarked on her past scandal with Tang Yibai. She was determined, fueled by her ambition to secure the interview that Teacher Sun once said would make her the top intern at QKVideo and allow them to surpass all competitors.
Meanwhile, Tang Yibai, during his training, found himself repeatedly picking up and putting down his phone, contemplating calling Yun Duo. Tang Yibai, taking a break by the lake, sent Yun Duo a photo, remarking that the sky made him think of her. This simple gesture reinvigorated Yun Duo. She affirmed to herself that she and Tang Yibai were striving under the same sky, and if he was working hard in training, she too could not give up on her goals.
The next day, Tang Mama, still desperate to see Tang Yibai, plotted a way to feign illness to lure him home. When Yun Duo arrived, Tang Mama immediately put on an act, claiming to be terribly ill with a cold and urging Yun Duo to call Tang Yibai, even dramatically suggesting it might be their "last time seeing each other." Elsewhere, Coach Wu confronted the swimmers, revealing he had discovered four missing phones.
He directly accused Qi Ruifeng and the others, knowing they were responsible. Tang Yibai, found to have violated the no-phone rule, was singled out by Coach Wu and ordered to run ten laps around the lake as punishment.
